jesscooper16

[jesscooper16]

Entry #5

Hi, it has been a while since I was on here. After escaping the woods, life has been much better now. I have friends again and I’ve managed to track down Griff, he sometimes sends me things, like souvenirs. Once in a while, I come to visit him and his daughter. My life has taken such a great turn and for once I feel happy with my life. I sometimes relive the wilderness situation, but I’m learning to control it. Earlier today I received a letter, it seemed quite thick for it to be a standard letter. It had my name on it “Jess Cooper”. I was eager to see who it was from, but the return address and details were blank. When I opened it, a thick, tightly packed bundle of pictures fell out of the card. They were all pictures of what seemed to be my dad and a younger girl. That girl looked like me. Each photo was taken on different occasions and I’ve never seen my dad smile so big. The card was filled with big, long paragraphs. After reading the letter, lines of tears slid down my cheeks as the resentment I had towards my dad turned into regret and love. I guess he told Griff to send this letter later on. This made me change my mindset, and I’m sorry Dad. I love you.

-Love, Jess.

[jesscooper16]

Entry #4

Hey, it hasn’t been too long, but it feels like weeks. Right now I’m curled up behind a campfire with Bo, but I can’t help to recall the time when “Raph kept smiling. And he took out his gun. And he shot my father in the head.” It feels unreal to experience a moment like that. I’ve experienced many things, but that must be the worst one I’ve had so far. I know it will stick with me forever. Even though I wasn’t very close with my dad it still hurts how I could’ve stopped it from happening, it feels like it’s partially my fault. This also made me realise how violent the world is. One small mistake or misunderstanding can truly change your life and I’m speaking from personal experience. It is scary how people’s emotions can take over who they are as a person and act out violence. Even though the violence would have been avoided, the men must have had a passionate feeling of revenge towards my dad. All I wanna say is that violence is not always the answer, which I mean it can still be avoided unless it really is the last resort, but that is it for now. I’m still recovering from what happened.

-Jess.

[jesscooper16]

Entry #3

I’m sitting here as the flames spread throughout the once-called dad’s cabin, but now neither the cabin nor dad is here anymore. My thoughts are racing. “I felt paralyzed. I stared at Bo. The dog hadn’t moved, but his lips were peeled back from his teeth.” I’m scared, I’m feeling so much regret. If only I had taken the chance to kill those men without them noticing me, none of this would have happened. My heart has sunken deeper into my body and I’m starting to realise what is going to happen to me. What am I going to do in the middle of the woods? I don’t think Griff is coming back and my dad is dead. All that’s left is Bo and me, but what can a young girl and her dog do in the woods? Should I have not wasted the time I spent with my dad when really he was trying to help me? But what was he hiding from me? Did he really steal money from those men or did he do something else? I don’t know how to feel, I have so many worries. I feel stranded. “I think I am going to die here”.

-Jess.

[jesscooper16]

Entry #2

Hi, I’m back. I had just landed in Alaska, but I arrived at the airport thinking my dad was going to pick me up. It turns out it was his friend Griff, “a huge man wearing a puffy yellow jacket who stared straight at me, squinting, but didn’t move or wave or anything”. Griff seemed scary at first, but after a few conversations, I’m starting to get to know him. I didn’t realise how far my dad lived until we went on a long road trip and then on a plane to a place in the middle of the wilderness. I’m starting to have second thoughts about this, but I had no other choice. All I wanted to do was to turn my life around and get back on track, but instead, I’ve ended up in a place where all you see are trees and dirt. I’ve lived in the city for most of my life so I’m really not used to this stuff. Today I met my dad for the first time in years, he looks almost identical to the picture I had, but my first interaction with him didn’t go very well. He acted as if we had been already close to each other. I hate how he tried to shake off the fact that he abandoned me for years and tried to play it off as nothing. Moreover, he lived in the middle of nowhere with barely any technology. I don’t want to be here. I’ve thought about going back and maybe I could go back to my foster family, the Wilkersons, at least I know I’d be doing something with my life there. Hope to update you soon.

-Jess.

[jesscooper16]

Entry #1

Hello everyone. Since this is my first post I want to give you an introduction about myself. My name is Sequoia Cooper, but I prefer to be called Jess. I’m 16 years old and at a young age, I have already battled many challenges in life. I lost my mom in a car accident not so long ago although this may seem like a sensitive topic, I like to use it as a reflection. The accident also left me partly crippled, affecting my ability to walk, but I am slowly recovering with therapy. Soon I will be living in Alaska with my dad, but I hold a grudge towards him because he never puts in the effort to see me, I’m also scared I might not recognise him. I’ve studied this one picture of him since my “Mom had gotten rid of the photos of them together but held on to one of him alone, just for me,” but what if he looks completely different. Anyways, that’s it for now, I hope you learned a bit about me.

-Jess.